Colonel Dixie: The Murder of Liz Leverett
Summary
This episode of Gone South explores the dark history of Colonel Dixie, a Mobile, Alabama fast-food chain that briefly rivaled McDonald's in the 1960s. Host Jed Lipinski interviews journalist Kevin Lee about the franchise's co-founder, Paul Leverett, who was convicted in 1983 for hiring a hitman to murder his abusive wife, Elizabeth. The story details the crime, the eventual conviction of Leverett and his accomplices, and Leverett's death while serving time at a minimum-security prison ranch.
Topics discussed
Intro: McDonald's vs. Colonel Dixie lawsuit
Interview with journalist Kevin Lee
Paul and Liz Leverett's marriage and business rise
Domestic abuse and Liz's diary entries
Promo for Crimes of Reddit podcast
Paul hires hitman Ricky Allen Pruitt
The murder of Liz Leverett
Paul's remarriage and initial investigation
Diamond ring evidence leads to conviction
Paul Leverett's trial and sentencing
Paul's death at Farquhar Cattle Ranch
Colonel Dixie's decline and outro
Listen ad-free on Castria